👟 Clint has made Corteiz x Nike a streetwear power couple

I’ve been following streetwear for years and Corteiz has always been fascinating to me. At PWR House, we make sure to follow brands that have a significant impact on culture and Corteiz is definitely one of them.

They had legendary marketing ideas like “The Great Bolo Exchange” and “The 99p market stall,” which helped develop their insanely loyal global following while remaining a brand that’s considered both exclusive and rebellious.

I remember racing around one day in London a few years ago trying to find the exact location of a Corteiz drop after a set of coordinates were shared on social media.

Nike sued Corteiz in 2021, but then they started collaborating in 2023. Corteiz is one of the hottest streetwear brands out there right now, which means that they add a lot of credibility to Nike.

Some people call Corteiz the “Supreme of today,” though depending on who you talk to — that could be considered offensive.

Tomorrow, Corteiz is dropping their latest Nike collab, an Air Max 95 “ Honey Black.”

This is their fourth collab with Nike and you can see how Corteiz’s marketing strategy has played out over the last month…with added Nike marketing budget!

March 9 — Corteiz posts a teaser on IG, saying that the Air Max 95 “Honey Blacks” are coming out in April
April 17 — Corteiz posts a mini-commercial featuring people like Central Cee and Ronaldinho
April 22 — Corteiz announces a special one day drop in London
April 23 — Corteiz announces a special one day drop in New York
April 24 — London drop, hundreds of people show up to get a pair of the Honey Blacks from a massive shoebox installation in front of Tower Bridge
April 26 — New York drop, special Corteiz branded buses show up in Harlem and there’s also a chalkboard with a message written out “I will not resell my honey blacks”
April 30 (tomorrow) — global release on the Corteiz website

The person who put this entire strategy together is likely Clint, the founder of Corteiz who has been the heart and soul of the brand since its launch.

At this point, Clint has become a streetwear hero and Corteiz operates with a founder-led story. People aren’t just buying into Corteiz, they’re buying into Clint as a cultural leader.

That’s part of what Nike sees in Corteiz, an authentic story. Clint stands out as the authentic face of Corteiz and the brains behind all of their growth over the last few years.

That’s what Nike is buying into as well. They can’t replicate Corteiz, but they can get closer to culture by aligning themselves with Clint.

In a world where attention is everything, real stories win. And the brands that treat collaborations like cultural storytelling will be the ones to define the next decade.